Monster Hunter: The Fall of Schrade
by Master Bebop
Summary: Far to the east of Minegarde lies the advanced and mighty Empire of Schrade, that has steadily grown for centuries. But soon it will fall to the darkness that is the Black Dragon, Fatalis.
1. Chapter I: Visions of Devastation

The Fall of Schrade

Chapter One: Visions of Devastation

At one point in time, someone might have called the country of Schrade the most advanced civilization in the known world. They had created light sources and electricity forms through the fabrication of Electric Sacs found within a thunder wyvern's throat. They first domesticated Felynes as both chefs, medical assistants, and even aids to Monster Hunters. The proud thirteenth king of Schrade, despite his unlucky placing, had even unionized the whole country into a single empire, and becoming the Emperor himself. But a wise man once said, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. This adage couldn't be any closer to the truth for the civilization of Schrade. Over the course of the next 72 hours, the fate of three normal people will intertwine drastically, as the darkness that will soon cripple the country, brews.

* * *

Several hundred wyverns were quickly approaching the fortress, towards Remus and his allies. They soon disappeared in the fog, and the soldiers waited anxiously.  
Remus drew his short sword, raised his shield above his chin, and looked out into the fog. Several of his soldiers stirred around him, twitching in anxiety and fear. A black bird-like creature, the size of an iguana shot out of the mist, beating it's wings in a synchronized pattern. A burst of flame shot out of it's mouth, spiraling towards Remus. He lifted his shield to meet the blaze, blocking all but a little flame that licked Remus' armored shoulder. He then swung his sword in an arc, slashing through the monster's side. Blood sprayed into the air, and a gentle breeze blew it into Remus' face. The monster hit the ground of the fortress wall, where nearby archers pelted it with arrows. The creature gave one last feeble squeak, and then died.

"There, more Remobra!" shouted a nearby Guardian. Dozens of similar animals weaved in and out of the thick fog, shooting small bursts of flame. Guardians blocked them with their tower shields, and returned fire with either arrows or swords. Soon the bodies of Guardians and Remobras alike littered the fort's floor. Remus looked to his side, to see his best friend, Andair, in a desperate struggle with two large Remobra. He beheaded one with a tremendously strong slash, but the second one caught him off guard. It bit at his neck, and pulled it to the side. Andair collapsed to the ground, his head just barely connected to his body. Remus watched as his best friend lay dead, the Remobra picking at his corpse.

This Remobra saw a furious Remus, and approached. This was one of the largest Remobras Remus had ever seen in his years as a Guardian, but it had just killed his best friend and he would not stop until all that was left of it was a bloody stump on the ground. Remus hurled his sword at it, and it lodged itself in the beast's side. Remus followed up by removing the sword, all to the monster's pain, and repeatedly stabbing it's legs. It collapsed in agonizing pain, blowing wisps of smoke from it's mouth in fury.

The Remobra knocked Remus off his feet with the swipe of a tail, and approached maw wide open. It wrapped it's wicked embrace of teeth around Remus' arm, piercing through his armor and injecting a lethal neurotoxin. The poison sifted through the Guardian's veins, as he felt the life being sucked right out of him. But this hunter had twenty-five years of experience as a Guardian on his shoulder, and his time had not yet come. The man rose to his feet with surprising strength, and the jaws were removed from his arm. At least a gallon of blood and toxin spilled out of his left arm, but he drew his sword anyway. He slashed the side of the Remobra, and it's intestines spilled out, as well as a mixture of digestive fluids, and a lot of blood.

The Remobra toppled over in pain, covering it's wound with its wing. Remus approached the downed wyvern, and raised his sword. In a last ditch effort, the Remobra swiped at Remus' side with its wing's claw, but Remus just blocked it with his shield. It flew from his grasp, and his only defense now was his thick armor, which the Remobra had already proven it could penetrate. In incomparable fury, Remus slashed away at the creature's neck, until all that could be seen was a bloody clot of veins, clinging to its spinal cord. Remus didn't stop hacking at the now unrecognizable Remobra, until several minutes had passed since it's death. He gave one final slash, and its neck bones were crushed to bloody dust.

Remus walked off into the fog, and gazed around. At least seventy of his men lay dead around him, piles of slain Remobra scattered among them. Only a chosen few selected by the twisted gods of Minegarde, (As Remus would call them) had survived the massacre. Captain Remus Dain walked towards his only living friend left, Julius, and spoke to him in a quiet, deliberate manner.  
"Have the General send medics. Don't bother contacting the Emperor, he can't help us and even if he could, he wouldn't. I need you to bury Andair for me. Tell his wife he died protecting his country and everything he stood for. Please, if you will -" Remus coughed up a sticky, black substance, inhaled deeply, and continued with a raspy voice: "I'd like you to become the godfather of my child. Teach him to honor deeply the protectors and valiant Guardians of Schrade, like these brave men who died today. Thank-"  
And with that, Remus collapsed, more black liquid and blood spilling out of his mouth.  
"-Y-you," he gargled feebly.

"Remus!"  
Julius kneeled next to his dying friend, and lifted him up from the puddle of blood he lay in.  
Suddenly a barrage of strange images assaulted Remus' mind. He saw various villages and towns of Schrade burning in a mass of rubble and debris, and the shadow of a massive dragon. Screaming of children and women, including his wife, attacked Remus' ears. He could hear the faint cries of his unborn and dying baby. A melancholy cry pierced his thoughts, followed by an ear-destroying roar from a dragon.  
"REMUS!"  
The faint scream of his friend was the last thing Remus heard before he fell unconscious.

* * *

A rather old man walked through a large crowd of people, and set his eyes on the Emperor of Schrade, who stood behind a podium in front of the audience.  
"My people," said the Emperor (whose voice was amplified by a special potion brewed from the fluids within a monster's stomach, and several rare jewels crushed to dust. This is of course, another one of Schrade's technological advancements.) and his voice was met with thunderous applause and plaudits from the audience.  
"Today, our great nation will be exploring the depths of Mount Schrade. Within, scouts report seeing shining stones deep down into the inactive volcano. Today, I announce the plan to send hundreds of dedicated miners into the volcano, to recover these precious stones for the glory of Schrade!  
Again, thunderous applause.  
The man watching the Emperor's performance grimaced in anger. Bastard thinks he can send us down into that sweltering mass of dirt, for what? "Precious stones?"

This man was Aldrith Moras, a miner for the Cantus Mining Company. Aldrith attempted to leave the town square, but several guards wearing the royal insignia raised their lances as he approached. Hmph. Now the asshole thinks he can make me watch his greedy little performance. Aldrith faced the Emperor again, and watched his fat belly shake as he spoke utter nonsense.

Twenty-five miles to the north-east of the announcement in Cantus, a trail of smoke was rising from the depths of Mount Schrade. Deep down below, beneath a thin layer of sweltering hot dirt, slept a dragon, it's black scales pushing the ground upwards with each intake of air. In about twenty-four hours, it would be awoken by a cautious miner who noticed the strange dirt as it swelled upwards, and due to the Emperors greedy, lustful habits, Schrade would be doomed.


	2. Chapter II: The Prophecy

Chapter Two: The Prophecy

An old man, maybe in his late fifties, placed a large book upon a towering shelf. He stepped down from his stool, and wiped sweat from his brow. The man walked to the back of the room and grabbed another book, this one made of parchment, taped together with an adhesive Schrade scientists had discovered near Dondruma.

"Naru, I've put up all the prophecies in the back room!" shouted a young-sounding voice from behind.

Naru sighed, scratching his long, gray beard.

"I thought I told you to call me Dr. Altese, boy."

"Sorry, Dr. Altese," replied the young man, as he entered the main library of the prophecy storage house.

"It's all right. I think you've finished up here. Your final paycheck is on the counter, pick it up on your way out."

"Thanks. Bye," said the young man as he exited the wooden, double doors of the prophecy library.

Naru took a seat behind his desk, shuffling through the many papers that lay in his office space. He picked up one very important document, a note from one of the many senators of the Schradian Grand Council, Tarmac Greensboro. It was a note on the foreclosure of his bank. He would be losing a lot of money, including his only home, and his shop. He would have to rely on his last 10,000 Zeni, all the money he had to his name. Naru stood up, and walked over to the exit. He locked the door, and walked out into the wide, cobblestone street. He looked back at his shop, one final time.

Time to move to Himeroon, thought Naru, gazing off into the distant northern limits of the city. There was the Cantus Airport, several hot-air balloons taking of this very minute.

* * *

Remus awoke with a cold start, his eyes darting around the room incase another Remobra reared it's ugly head. He felt his chest. It was drenched in sweat. He arose, to feel a sharp pain in his arm. The poison. I should be dead, he thought. The Remobra had injected a lethal neurotoxin, yet I still live…

Somehow Remus had survived it. Somehow. Remus had no faith in the gods, miracles were not something that graced his life often. He had seen his fare share of violence. Men crawling around in a pool of their own blood, searching for their legs. Women and children, piles of burnt, ragged flesh. Homes that had become mounds of rubble and ash. No, the gods were not on Remus' side.

Yet, here he is, alive and well. How? How in the hell did I survive that massacre?

"Ah, Remus, do you feel alright?"

The Guardian turned in his bed, to see a man in a long white coat leaning against the doorway.

"You were the only one to survive that disaster. Every other Guardian died in the battle from wounds, or from neurotoxin poison. It's a miracle you made it out alive."

"What? But Julius! I saw him! He was alive! And there were others!

"I'm afraid not. Poor Julius had succumbed to his wounds shortly after he dragged you back to Cantus. He had three large, poisoned gashes in his side. The others you saw were Martin, Alexander, Aerith, and John. All died when the fort was bombed."

"Bombed? What the hell are you talking about?!" shouted Remus.

"I'm sorry, but the fortress was blown to smithereens after you were hauled off. Remobras carry a deadly toxin in their veins, which through fireballs can be released into the air. It eventually becomes an air-born virus, lethal to infants and strong enough to cripple fully grown adults. It's stronger than cancer. The government activated the dragon bombs planted beneath the fort, and destroyed it. Don't look at me like that, I don't like it any more than you. Our 'Emperor' is a cruel bastard. He didn't once stop to think about us or our families up there. I'm sorry, but your entire battalion is gone."

Remus just sat there, his mouth agape, a fist curled beneath his bed sheets. Before he could say anything, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and screams of agony filled his thoughts. He could hear a distant, melancholy voice, coming closer and closer. It spoke in a tongue Remus did not know, and amidst the strange language it roared in fury, just like the ones Remus heard when he blacked out.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine," lied Remus, getting up from bed, and slipping on his leather boots and gloves.

"What are you doing? You can't go anywhere! You need surgery immediately!"

"I'm afraid I don't have time, doc. I've got to see the Emperor."

* * *

Aldrith Moras slipped through a crowd outside of the royal palace. The Emperor was in his chambers, and Aldrith had an appointment with him. He opened the double doors of the palace, after two guards gave him a cautious glance. Aldrith crossed through the main hall, and up one of the two stairways to the viewing balcony. There, stood a young man, the Emperor's assistant advisor.

"You may see him now, Mr. Moras," said the man.

Aldrith pushed open the doors to the Emperor's hall. Inside he did not find the Emperor however, but instead a middle-aged man wearing flowing red and gold robes.

"I'm sorry but the Emperor is in his balloon, surveying the mining company's first foray into the volcano. Shouldn't you be with them, Mr. Moras?" asked the man.

"Well, no, I'm was actually here to speak with the Emperor."

"I'm terribly sorry but I'm afraid he won't be back for another hour or so. But I am a councilor and chief governor in the Royal Council, if I can help."

"Alright. I need you to halt the mining expedition," said Aldrith with a grim look on his face.

The councilor withdrew a smirk, hiding it behind his robes sleeve.

"I apologize but we cannot do that. We are funding over ten million Zeni for this expedition, and we can't end it now. If you would like to express your concerns with the expedition manager-"

"I AM the expedition manager! I spoke with councilor Rain, and she said to speak with the Emperor to get his approval!"

"I'm sorry," said the chief councilor, "but this cannot be done. If I say no, then surely the Emperor will say no as well. It was his idea that your company do this in the first place."

"I realize that," replied the miner, "but I have just gotten a first-hand report by one of my chief explorers in the company! He said he heard and saw some strange things there, including a dragon. I cannot allow my men to work under these conditions!"

"A dragon?" said the councilor with a chuckle.

"Elder Dragons are myths. The last reported sighting was over fifty years ago, and Chief Investigator Roland Smith found out that it was just a greater wyvern. Myths I tell you, myths. Dragons do not exist."

"Look, thanks for the sympathy," said Aldrith with a dark sense of humor, "but my say in the matter could change this little expedition of the Emperor's. I will tell my men to end this little operation, and they will not follow the orders of your Gods-be-damned Emperor!"

"I did not want things to go like this," said the councilor.

"Ahem."

Aldrith turned around to see two Royal Guards, big, golden lances aimed at his ribs.

"Come with us."

* * *

Naru Altese stood in line with several hundred towns people of Cantus, awaiting his balloon flight to Himeroon. He sighed, and looked over at a sign nearby which read:

'One hour from this point'

While he waited, Naru read a small pamphlet he had received from the desk woman at the front of the airport. It had a little map of Central Himeroon, including its capital, and several major villages like Kokoto, Silius, and Filix. He could hear arguing in the distance, and averted his gaze from the pamphlet. At a small help kiosk ahead, he could see a flustered, burly man, with a cast on his arm, speaking to a woman at the table.

"I don't have time for this! Just let me take the Royal Flight to Mount Schrade, so I can be done with this!"

"I'm sorry, but we can't do that. The Emperor will not allow flights, it's a no-fly zone."

"I have to speak with the Emperor now! What about my legion card, will it do me any good?!"

"Sir, not only has your legion card expired, but the Emperor is not allowing visits from Guardians at this moment. You'll have to wait until after the expedition."

"When does it end?" asked Remus curiously.

"The expedition won't be over until Friday. Even then, the Emperor has an important meeting with the King of Himeroon and the Grand Countess of Furahiya. He won't be seeing the councilors until Saturday, let alone a Guardian. Please, I have other civilians to attend to, if you will, do hurry."

Remus turned around to see a long line of angry towns folk behind him.

"Fine," and with that, he walked off. Naru watched the man as he came in his direction. A heavy gust of wind blew his pamphlet from his hands, and it landed in front of Remus Dain, as he approached.

"Is this yours?" he said, grabbing this pamphlet.

"Yes, sorry," said Naru, extending his hand. He grabbed the piece of paper, and for a brief moment, the hands of Captain Remus Dain, and Prophet Naru Altese met. Both soon fell into a semi-conscious world, within their own minds. Remus saw the all-too familiar face of a Remobra. The view soon expanded to thousands of them, flocking towards the capital of Schrade, Dondruma. Behind the great army of wyverns was an enormous dragon, screaming that same ethereal roar. Naru, on the other hand, saw the events leading up to it. He saw a man stumbling upon a dragon, as it slept within Mount Schrade's depths. He saw the mining band flee as the dragon slaughtered them with a mere swipe of a hand. He even saw the mountain become volcanic from the creature's wrath, and the dragon fly into the sky as it became red with lava. The monster soared through the air, towards Dondruma, along with thousands of wyverns.

Both were brought back to consciousness with shocking convulsions of fear and pain.

"Remus…Dain," said Naru with a glazed look in his eyes.

"How… how do you know my name?" asked a cautious Remus, not knowing of Naru's prophetic vision.

"You… the… Prophecy. I've… it… it was the final one I read before I closed my library…"

"Prophecy? What prophecy?"

"The D'naermon Fatalis Mortis… the Black Dragon of Death and Fate…"

"I don't… what… are you mad?" said Remus, looking into the prophet's white eyes.

"No. We have to stop the expedition. Now."

"What the hell are you talking about old man?"

"Quickly. That dragon, the one you saw in your visions. I know you've had them. The prophecy says so. It speaks of the Fatalis, an ancient, sleeping dragon bound to be awoken by a greedy man's intentions. Come with me, to my library. I will show you."

"Well… I was going to speak with the king, about the bombings…"

"Yes!" shouted Naru suddenly.

"What?!"

"The bombings! 'An act of great malice and misunderstanding will occur before the incident, proceeding the aftermath of the Great War!"

"What are you rambling about now?!" said Remus, still confused.

"Nothing. But if things go accordingly, you will get your chance to take vengeance on the king."

The word rang in the soldier's head. Vengeance. The Emperor had killed Julius. Alexander. John. He had even sent men like Andair to die in his name. He would pay the price. Remus would see to it.

"Come with me, now, I have to show you the prophecy before it is too late!" said Naru, exiting the line, and hurrying down the stairs back into Cantus. Remus just stood there, his unbroken fist clenched. Your greed, your lust, your hunger for power and wealth, it will be the downfall for you my Emperor, thought Remus bitterly. He then hurried down the stairs at a brisk pace, following Naru.

"Sir!" shouted the maid from the front desk, after Naru.

"Sir you forgot your tickets!"


	3. Chapter III: D’naermon Fatalis Mortis

Chapter Three: D'naermon Fatalis Mortis

Aldrith sat in a cold, damp room, barred from the outside world. He had already tried to break the bars, but they were solid union ore, a rare mineral discovered by the Emperor several decades before. He had nothing but the clothes on his back, which had become ragged and torn from the many beatings the guards had given him for asking questions. Aldrith knew his Emperor was a cruel, sadistic man, but this was taking it to a whole new level! Not only was the Emperor corrupt, but so was his council! Aldrith could forget about escaping Schrade now. Cantus, the city he was trapped in, was one of Schrade's biggest military bases. It had a fort, well it used to have a fort, and so many guards and knights walked its streets, thieves would think twice of stepping into this town.

It was second in military power only to Dondruma, Schrade's capital. The Cantus Palace, however, was where the Emperor resided, for Dondruma was often attacked by all sorts of monsters that dwelled in the nearby Himeroon Mountains. Aldrith knew he would still be trapped in this palace by the time the dragon was awoken; he knew it was going to happen, one way or the other. But he had to find some way out of here, somehow, at least before the fighting began. Aldrith knew enough about Elder Dragons to know that the legendary Fatalis could easily destroy all of Schrade, with or without assistance.

There were many tales of hunters facing Fatalis, sometimes alone, sometimes with help. But the stories always ended in their deaths. Of course, that was one to four strong willed, hardy hunters; this situation would be over ten-thousand well trained Schradian soldiers. The odds seemed stacked against the Fatalis, but Aldrith knew better. And so for the past four hours, Aldrith had watched guards pass by his cell, always seemingly in a hurry. How dare they throw me in here? I'm the head of the Schradian Mining Organization! How are they supposed to start without me?  
Well, better in here when the battle starts, than at the heart of the monster's lair.

* * *

After standing at the doorway for several moments, Remus followed Naru into the prophecy library. He glanced around, taking it all in. It was full of enormous shelves, filled to the brim with books and stapled papers, or various objects. Remus chased after Naru, who had gotten several dozen feet ahead of him. Naru struggled to extend a tall, wooden latter. When he finally got it folded out, he gasped for air. He wished the boy was still here. Naru climbed up the latter, and grabbed a large, red book, and a stack of weathered old papers. He returned to the library floor, and disappeared behind the tall shelves. Remus followed him around the corner, to see Naru taking a seat at a small table. Remus pulled up a chair from another table, and sat down next to Naru. Naru promptly wiped the dust from the table.  
"This," he said, "Is the history of D'naermon Fatalis Mortis."  
The big red book plopped down onto the table, sending the remaining dust flying into the air. It had a raggedy old spine, nearly tearing down the middle. On the front cover of the book was a big black crystal, glimmering in the dim candle light.

"I still don't understand. How can we have a detailed history of something few believe in?"  
"Let me explain," replied Naru.  
"D'naermon isn't the dragon itself, but the fate it carries with it. This book lists the many deaths, wars, disasters, and tragedies brought about from the dragon, usually done by human interference. The one we're about to have now is a good example. But this particular D'naermon isn't like the others. Most D'naermon end with the dragon disappearing for another thousand years. This prophecy, however, says different," said Naru, flipping through the pages of the prophecy.

"It says that the dragon will flee to another land, after 'an immense tragedy plagues an unfortunate soul from Schrade'".  
"Right… but what kind of tragedy are we talking about here?" asked a confused and curious Remus.  
"I'm not certain, it isn't clear. But it does say that the dragon will be severely wounded, and will require several decades of rest."  
"Well, how the hell do we stop this dragon?" said Remus, obviously flustered by the recent occurrence of events.  
"Stop it? We can't stop it! The D'naermon Fatalis Mortis is the most written about prophecies in history, and each tale ends with the dragon victorious! Whatever will come from this war will be bad. We cannot stop this, Remus Dain."  
"Then why the hell have you brought me here? You might as well have let my buy my damn tickets so I can get out of this doomed country!"

"No, you misunderstood me, Remus. While we cannot defeat the dragon, we _can _stop it from continuing this unending cycle of death and chaos. The prophecy says a man named Remus Dain II will engage the dragon in combat, and with the help of the Schradian Military, will repel it. The dragon will flee to faraway lands to rest and recuperate. In that time, we will form a band that can defeat it the second time around!"

Remus just sat there, mouth agape from shock.  
"You… expect me… to fight… a dragon?!"  
"Yes! The prophecy says so!"  
"Now I _know _you're crazy," said Remus, leaving his seat behind, and heading for the two, great, double doors.  
"Wait! Would you really abandon your nation in its time of need?"  
"You must be joking," said Remus, standing at the doorway.  
"Wait. I will show you proof," said Naru, grabbing Remus on the shoulder. The prophet led the guardian down the tall, shelved corridors, towards a small door at the back.  
"This is my storage room. I will show you the undeniable proof that this dragon is coming."

Remus followed Naru into the storage room. He watched as the prophet opened a small, velvet covered box, using a golden key.  
"This," he said, opening the box's lid, "Is one of the dragon's scales."  
Remus watched the pitch black scale shimmer in the dimly light storage room.  
"Why are you showing me this?" asked Remus, confused.  
"Just stare at for a few minutes," replied Naru.  
And so Remus gazed into the dark crevices of the large, shining scale, for several minutes. He began to feel his legs wobble, and he could tell drool was beginning to form on his lips. What was happening? He just stood there, feeling his head bob back and forth, and his legs buckle from weaknesses.  
"Do not forget this, Remus Dain. This is the shock you feel from just a single scale of the dragon."  
Around the forth minute, by which time he was about to faint, Remus could begin to hear whispers echo through his mind. All sorts of screams of agony and pain swirled through his thoughts, and he was sure the scale was telling him something. He could hear Naru say something, and then say it again louder, but it was faint. All Remus wanted to do was to grab the ceremonial dagger in the display case across the room, and take his own life. The pull was strong, and Remus would have done it if Naru hadn't shouted "REMUS!" a third time.

Remus lost consciousness and slipped onto the dusty, wooden floor. Several minutes later he sat at the same table in the library, a cold rag on his forehead.  
"Now you see, Remus Dain. Imagine what the entire dragon could do. It has enough power to twist the minds of men, turn them against each other, and force them to take their own lives, or even drive them insane. The power I have in that scale is not one to take lightly. But we will be needing it shortly," said Naru, throwing the black scale into a bag, as well as some rations and a rusty old dagger.  
"What? Why?" asked a curious Remus, who then grunted from the headaches the scale had caused him.  
"Because, we're going to try and stop the king from awakening the dragon."  
"But you already told me we cannot stop a prophecy!" said Remus loudly.  
"I know what I said. But prophecies have been wrong before… at any rate, we have to do something. I already have a plan to stop the emperor. To reach his balloon, we will need to break into his palace and steal the emperor's royal pass. We use that at the airport to get an airship to take us to the excavation, where we will assault the king's fleet. We _must _stop the excavation. But, if the dragon is awoken, I have a backup plan. You fight the dragon, and weaken it so that it flees. Then, we prepare for its return."  
"I'm sorry Naru, but I am a mere captain. I cannot defeat something as strong as an elder dragon."  
"But the prophecy says you can!"  
"You just told me prophecies have been wrong before!" shouted Remus, becoming aggravated.  
"Look, I know you can defeat the Fatalis! I've been reading prophecies for decades, I know this one inside and out!"  
"Naru, I will not face that dragon alone. It's too dangerous."  
"Ah, but my dear boy, you will _not _be facing this dragon alone," replied Naru, waving the glimmering, black scale of the Fatalis.

* * *

The emperor watched as hundreds of airships circled above Mount Schrade, searching for deposits of ore to mine. They resembled zeppelins, except for the many propellers on their sides. Only Schrade could afford to make such expensive ships. The emperor's royal airship was easily five times as big as the mining zeppelins, with hundreds of rooms for his soldiers, a viewing station, and dozens of bathrooms, an infirmary, an equipment room, and the many cannon stations mounted on its sides. The emperor sat in his throne, at the front of the airship, watching over the excavations progress. A massive, fifty-foot long window lay before him, more than enough to allow some viewing pleasure. The emperor smiled greedily. All was going according to plan.

* * *

"Who is this?" asked Remus, watching a tall, slender man approach. He had a strange sphere over his eye, a red beret on his head, and a brown bowgun strapped to his back.  
"This is Razadian Nalim, if you know your western history he's a very important figure," replied Naru.  
"THE PRINCE OF KHAL-NALIM?!"  
"Quiet!" whispered Naru, putting his hand over Remus' mouth.  
"He left his homeland a decade ago, and became a hunter near Barbaroi. He has become quite the rogue in recent years. We'll need his help."  
"Mr. Altese, good to see you," said a cheerful Raz, extending a hand.  
"Yes, yes, good to see you as well, my friend," replied Naru, shaking it.  
"I assume things have been going well since your exile from Khal-Nalim?"  
"Of course. Hunting turned out to be a nasty business though. Moved here from Barbaroi, and discovered that being a spy is a lot more fun, and more profitable.  
"Glad to hear it. I do hope Greensboro hasn't been sending you on droll tasks."  
"Not at all. In fact, he's even let me spy on the Guardians once or twice," said Raz with a wink and a grin.  
"Excuse me?" said an annoyed Remus.  
"Oh, do forgive my guest," said Naru with a fake smile, "he was once a Guardian here in Cantus."  
"I see. Well, I must say your group is quite the interesting one," said Raz, once again grinning.  
Remus grunted in reply, and looked off in another direction.  
"So, Greensboro hasn't been asking you to betray the Emperor has he?" asked Naru finally.  
"Not yet, at least," replied Raz.  
"I hear he's quite the contradictive one. He recently shut down my prophecy library," said Naru, frowning.  
"Shame. But surely you invited me here for more than just small talk," said Raz, narrowing his eyebrows.

Naru tossed a coin in Raz's direction, who promptly snatched it out of the air.  
"Fantastic," he said.  
"So what do you need?" asked Raz.  
"We're planning on infiltrating the palace, and stealing the king's airship pass."  
Raz forgot his manners and let his mouth hang agape.  
"Do you have any idea what kind of protection that castle has?" asked a shocked Raz.  
Naru tossed another coin. Again, Raz caught it, and slipped it into his pocket.

"Two thousand guards on the inside, another four hundred archers and gunners on the outside, sixteen ballista cannons, four great cannons, a dragonator on the sides and the back, dozens of spike and poison traps in the treasure dungeon, forty-eight prison cells, forty-six of which are in use, twelve royal guards, and six of them are on the Royal Airship at the moment, and last but certainly not least, a Gravios in the dungeon."  
Remus couldn't even remember the first bit, for the Gravios part was still being processed.  
"They… have… a Gravios… in the dungeons?"  
"Two actually, a juvenile and an adult," replied Raz.  
The three were silent for a few moments.  
"Well, this promises to be one hell of an evening!" said Naru with a reckless grin.


End file.
